Breathe Across a Dance Floor
by storry-eyed
Summary: They're not supposed to work together, but it's been as natural as breathing since the first time he saw her. LunaRolf. Written for the Prompt of the Day on Hogwarts Online.


**A/N: **Written for the Prompt of the day: _"I've just seen a face, I can't forget the time or place where we just met. She's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met,_" which are lyrics to "I've Just Seen A Face" by The Beatles, on the Hogwarts Online forum. The story is really based off the whole song, though.

I really like Luna, I'm going to be writing more of her. She's a wonderful character.

* * *

_Other girls were never quite like this._

~_I've Just Seen A Face_, The Beatles

* * *

He sometimes regrets not having gone to Hogwarts with the rest of them, because he would have loved to be a part of the fight against Voldemort and he feels left out. But he can't regret it, not really, because he cherishes the time he spent with his grandfather as a child and teenager learning anything and everything about magical creatures – and other things too, like Muggle music and different cultures and lifestyles and languages. And he supposes that's what leads him to the best thing in his life, in the end.

Newt Scamander took Rolf under his wing from the beginning, from the time when he was six years old to his death when Rolf was fifteen. He taught Rolf everything he knew, refusing to let him be educated at Hogwarts because, even though he himself had been the Headmaster there, Newt wanted someone to follow in his footsteps and Rolf was the one he chose.

Rolf didn't hear anything about the war until it was over and he came back to England almost a year later, an updated version of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ finally finished, and his mother told him everything. At first he was angry that she hadn't given him the chance to come and fight, but she cries and says she was afraid for his life and he forgives her – how could he not?

But he doesn't feel like a part of things, even though Hermione Granger praises his updated version for treating all creatures in the magical world with respect and through her friendship the other greats accept him too, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, his sister Ginny and Neville Longbottom. The only one who doesn't, the one he's heard about but never actually met, is Luna Lovegood, because Neville had just left her for someone named Hannah Abbott and she had left the country.

He meets her at Neville and Hannah's wedding two years later, feeling ostracized because even though Hermione invited him he still doesn't know very many people, so he's sitting at a table in the corner, drinking water (he won't drink anything stronger, it's not a good idea when working with dangerous animals and a habit by now) when he sees someone on the dance floor without a dance partner and he smiles.

She's wearing a yellow dress so light it's almost cream or even white, long white-blonde hair spilling down her back, and doesn't have any shoes on. Then she turns around and he sees her face and it's like no other girl ever existed, she's that beautiful. And somehow, somewhere inside him, he knows that he's found the one, and all at once he knows what people mean when they say it was "love at first sight."

And then she turns around and he sees she's crying, and he's on his feet in an instant with no purpose other than making her feel better and possibly beating up the person who hurt her enough to make her cry, even though he has no idea how to accomplish this since he doesn't even know her name.

He follows her outside but she Apparates away and he's left with his arm stretched out to empty air, feeling like the world has just been snatched from his fingtips.

"Ron," he says about an hour later, because he's the only person Rolf can manage to pry away from everyone who might be able to help him, "who was the girl wearing the yellow dress?"

"With long blonde hair?" Ron asks, and Rolf nods. "Oh," says Ron with a laugh that sends a flash of annoyance through him, "that's Luna Lovegood."

Rolf blinks in surprise, because he never would have thought one of the heroes would be out of the mainstream like he was. "Oh," he says finally. "Okay. Thanks."

"What's up with her, mate? Did she says something crazy to you?" Ron asks curiously.

"I just wondered," says Rolf defensively, because for some reason he feels protective of this girl he doesn't know and he doesn't like Ron's tone.

"She's a bit, well, she's always been sort of crazy, and it's gotten worse since she and Neville broke up," Ron says. "She's not the one for you, I'm telling you."

"And how would you know?" Rolf snaps, and the next thing he knows he's storming off across the dance floor with the only purpose of proving them all wrong.

* * *

He's been searching through all the Ministry records for a month and can't find any information of where she might be, and it's driving him crazy because he wants to scream it to the world but she doesn't even know that he exists. ne day he walks into the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley looking to see if his book is there and she's there instead, and he feels like he's the luckiest person in the world.

"Hello," says Rolf softly, and she raises her head slowly from staring at what looks like an empty cage and then he starts drowning in her in her silver-grey eyes.

"Hello," she says dreamily. "I don't believe I know you, do I?"

"No," he answers, grinning. "I'm Rolf Scamander."

Her eyes sharpen instantly. "You updated your grandfather's book."

"Yes," Rolf says, suddenly nervous. "I'm working on another version right now, actually."

"Really?" She asks, sounding delighted. "I think you should consider adding Nargles to your book this time."

"What are Nargles?" He asks her, and she smiles, but he notices that there are shadows lurking in the backs of her eyes.

"You don't have to humor me," she says quietly, and he shakes his head.

"I never will," Rolf promises.

"Everyone does," she says simply. "It doesn't bother me." He hearts the unspoken _much_ and feels his chest contract.

"Well, yes, it does," Rolf answers, frustrated because he thinks he should understand but he doesn't. "Otherwise you wouldn't have said anything."

Something close to astonishment flickers across her face before she composes herself and raises an eyebrow. "You're the first person to every say that to me."

"It's about time someone did," he snaps, and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm not upset at you."

"You're angry on my behalf," she says, and Rolf nods. "Don't be." Suddenly she frowns. "Oh. I'm Luna Lovegood. I didn't say that before, did I?"

"No," he says, anger draining away to be replaced by something like affection, "but I know who you are."

She gives him a smile and turns back to the cage, and the words burst out of him before he can think things through. "Are you hungry? Would you like to go to dinner?"

"With you?" She says, and her voice is surprised again.

"Yes, with me," he answers seriously, and it seems perfectly normal to reach over and take her hand. "Will you come?"

Her hand is tiny in his big, calloused one, and his thumb rubs gently over her palm before he can stop himself. "Yes," says Luna, and Rolf's heart sings.

* * *

It takes an entire year, but he manages to work himself into her life and her heart, while she solidifies the place she made at the wedding long ago. He learns everything about her and her life and the creatures she believes in. He doesn't know whether or not he thinks they're real, but if she does then that's enough for him. They teach each other about the world and themselves and it's as natural as breathing.

"I've never known anyone like you," he says one day while they're walking the countryside, hand in hand.

She laughs and looks up at him and Rolf falls in love all over again. "I could say the same about you."

"How?"

She stops walking and turns to face him. "Because no one ever cared enough about the person I was underneath to find it – to find _me_. No one knows me like you do, Rolf. I've never known anyone like you before. Without you I don't know who I would be. You saved me."

"I love you," he says, not bothering to hide the fact that his voice is completely choked with tears, because he's never said this to him before and it means more than she'll ever know and so the words just slip out. She blinks once before a huge smile of relief spreads across her face.

"Thank goodness," she whispers. "I was afraid I was alone."

"Never," he says, drawing her close into his arms. "You'll never be alone."

* * *

They are married a year later, and Rolf sends up a thanks to his grandfather for everything Newt taught him, because otherwise he and Luna might never have met and he never would have discovered what it meant to live.

* * *

**A/N: **Please leave a review!

FL7


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